Apparatus for feeding or discharging grain, &amp;c.



E. MQREAH. APPARATUS r012 FEEDING on mscrmzema 615m, an.

APPLIOATIOI FILED JUNE 3, 1909. 955,606, Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

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E. MOREAU.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING 0R DISGHARGING GB AIN, &c.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 8, 1909. v

955,606. I Patented Apr. 19, 1 910! .QU g l/ filww W? jZZor zzeg EMOREAU; APPARATUS FOR FEEDING 0R DISGHABGIRG GRAIN, (kc. APPLICATION211.111) JUNE 8, 1909.

955,606. Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

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fi'Zrzesses E. MOREAU.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING OR DISGKA'RGING GRAIN, 6w.

LPPLIOATIOH FILED JUNE 8, 1909. 955, 0 Patented Apr. 19, 191:

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E. MOBEAU. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING 0R DISCHARGING GRAIN, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1909.

955,606, Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.essnmoa m J. 2. Damn comm, or

vid e feeding and dischargin EUGENE KOREA-U310! NEW YORK, N

BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Eucimn Monnau, a citizen of the Republic of' Franceresiding at New York, in the county of' N ew Yor and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Feedin orDischarging Grain, &c., of

which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the mechanisms which are em loyed inconnection with vacuum ain riers and similar apparatus for feeding thegrain or other material to be dried or treated chamber and removing ittherefrom without interfering with the maintenance of the vacuumtherein. Feeding and discharging mechanisms of this general charactercomprise, as shown, for instance, in Patent No. 748,414, Dec. 29, 1903,to Emil Passburg, a'receiving chamber or receptacle for the material, aninlet valve which controls the admission of the material to thisreceptacle, and an outlet valve which controls the exit of the materialtherefrom. The valves shown for that I purpose in said patent are rotarydisks, each having a pocket for receiving the material and conveying itfrom the inlet opening, through which the material passes to the valve,to

another opening through which the Ina-- terial esca es from the valve.

The ob ect of this invention is to promechanisms of this generalcharacter in w 'ch swinging or pivoted valves are employed, whereby thefrictional resistance of the valves and the power required for actuatingthe apparatus are greatl reduced and the apparatus is rendere moreetficient and satisfactory in its operation.

In the-accompanying drawings, consisting of five sheets: Figure 1 is anelevation, partly in section, of a grain drying apparatus embod g thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional e evation of the feeding or dischargingapparatus, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation at right angles to Fig. 2, in line 3-3,Fig. 2. Fig.

chis a top F c arging ap aratus. i 5 is a perspective view of the mechanism by which the valves are operated.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June a, 1909.Serial no. 500,854.

to a vacuum tank or plan view of the feeding and disarrm'rus Ion. manureon msonmma GRAIN, aw.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

chamberb or tanks arranged one above the other and constructed in anysuitable manner and connected with any suitable exhaust apparatus formaintainmg the desired vacuum therein. The upper tank A receives thegrain at one end from the feeding appa- 7o ratus C and delivers thegrain at its opposite end to the lower tank B which in turn delivers thegrain at its opposite end to the discharging apparatus D. The feedingapparatus and the discharge apparatus are alike in constructionbut'difier in their relation to the tanks, the feeding apparatus havingits inlet open to the atmosphere and its outlet connected with theexhausted tank,

while the discharging apparatus has its inlet connected with theexhausted tank and its outlet open to the atmosphere. The drying ortreating apparatus may comprise a' single tank as may be making theconnections the feeding apparaor a number'of connected tanks,

tus and. the discharging apparatus may be arranged one above the other,as shown.

Each apparatus for feeding or discharging the grain is constructed asfollows: 10

re resents an inlet trough having a semic indrical bottom provided onopposite sides of its longitudinal center line with feed openings 11,12, which are alternately opened and closed by a rock valve 13 securedto a rock shaft 14. This trough receives the rain in the case of thefeedlng-apparatus from afeed spout, (not shown), and in the case of thedischarge apparatus 1) from the discharge opening of the vacuum tank.

15, 16, represent two preliminary receiving or measuring chambersarranged respectively below the feed openings 11, 12, and separated by apartition 17' which is arranged between these openings.

ings 18, 19, respectively. 20 and 21 repredrawings illustrate 65 toapparatus which op- 60 preferred. For convenience in 85 These chambersare provided in their preferably hopper-shaped bottoms with dischargeopensent two main receiving chambers arranged respectively beneath thepreliminary cham-' bers 15, 16, and somewhat larger than the former.These main chambers are provided in their hopper-shaped bottoms withoutlet.

extend in the same so high as to interfere with the free movement of thevalve. The outlet openings 22, 23, of the main chambers are controlledby similar swinging or pivotal valves 28, 29, mounted on transverseshafts 30, 31, respectively, and arranged in a chamber 32 beneath theseopenings. In the case of a feeding mechanism this chamber opens into theinlet opening of the vacuum tank and in the case of a dischargemechanism it opens into a discharge spout or conveyer which is open tothe atmosphere. The main receiving chamber 20 is provided with a suctionopening 33 which is arranged in the side of the chamber and iscontrolled bya valve 34 arranged in a chamber 35 connected with theexhaust apparatus by a pipe 36, so that the valve chamber 35 isexhausted and the receiving chamber 30 is placed in communication withthe exhaust by opening the valve 34. The main receiving chamber 21 issimilarly provided with a suction opening 37 controlled by a valve 38 ina chamber 39 having an exhaust pipe or passage 40. 1

The exhaust valves 34 and 38 are actuated respectively by arms 41, 42,on transverse shafts '43, 44.

The operation of this'apparatus is as 'fol lows: Assuming the feed valve13 to stand in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which this valyeuncovers the feed opening 11 and cov- N ers the feed opening 12, thepreliminary chamber 15 is in communication with the feed trough 10 andreceives grain therefrom until it is filled, the discharge opening 18 inthe bottom of the preliminary chamber being closed'by the valve 24. Thesuction valve 34 of the chamber 20 'is closed and the discharge valve 28is open, so that the grain passes from the chamber 20 into the bottomchamber 32 and thence to the vacuum tank, in the case of a feedingapparatus, or to the discharge spout in the case of a dischargingapparatus. At the same time the reliminary chamber 16 is cut off fromthe sad trough 10 by the feed valve 13 the grain in the preliminary.chamber 16 is discharged through the opening 19 into the main chamber21, the upper valve 25 being open and the lower valve 29 closed and theexhaust valve 38 bein also closed. The feed valve 13 is next The. owervalve 28 of the chamber 20 is closed, the upper valve 24 .of thischamber is opened and the grain flows from the prelimmary chamber 15into'the main chamber 20. The upper valve 24 is then closed and theexhaust valve 34 opened, whereby the main chamber 20 is placed incommunication with the exhaust and the air is removed, which has enteredwith the grain from thepreliminary chamber, in the case of a feedmgapparatus. The exhaust valve is then closed and the dischar e valve 28opened, whereby the giainis ischarged from the chamber 20 into thevacuum tank. In the ifted so as to close v the o ning 11 and uncover theopening 12.

case of a discharging a paratus, the air enhave been closed, therebypreventing this air from entering the vacuum tank.

4 The feed valve may be a rocking valve, as shown, or of any othersuitableconstruction. The valve operates mainly as a cut-ofi forbreaking the communication between the preliminary and the mainreceiving chambers and can work freely without forming an air-tightclosure.

By duplicating the preliminary and main recelving chambers andaccessories and operating the two sets alternately, a practicallycontinuous operation of the apparatus is produced. A single set may beemployed, however, if desired.

The pivoted or swinging valves which are employed in connection witheach main receiving chamber move freely in the chambers in which theyare arranged, their movement upwardly to their seats and down-.

wardly from their seats is not retarded or rendered difiicult by grain,dust or it which may adhere to the valves and t ey seat themselvestightly when closed.

The mechanism for actuating the different valves at the proper time maybe of any suitable construction, that which is shown in the drawingsbeing constructed as follows: 49 represents the main drive shaft of thevalve mechanism arranged horizontally and driven by means of a pulley50.- This shaft is provlded with a pinion 51 meshing with a gear wheel52 on a horizontal counter shaft 53 carrying a pinion 54. The lattermeshes with a gear wheel 55 on a horizontal shaft 56 carryingtwo camdisks 57 and 58. The cam disk 57 actuates an arm 59 on a rock shaft 60carrying arms 61 and 62. The arm 61 is connected b a rod 63 with an arm64 on the shaft 27 o the pivoted valve 25, while the arm 62 is connectedby arod 65 chamber,

with an arm 66 on the shaft-43 of the exhaust valve 34. The cam disk 58actuates an arm 67 on a rock shaft 68 carrying an arm 69 which isconnected by a rod 70 with an arm 71 on the shaft 31 of the lowerpivoted valve 29. The gear wheel 55 on the rotary shaft 56 meshes with agear wheel 72 on a horizontal shaft 73 which is provided with a cam disk74 which actuates the feed valve 13 by means of a rod '75 and arm 76.The gear wheel 72 on the shaft 7 3 meshes with a gear wheel 77 on ashaft 78 carrying cam disks 79 and 80. The cam disk 7 9 actuates an arm81 on a rock shaft 82 provided with an arm 83 connected by a rod 84 withan arm 85 on the shaft 30 of the lower pivoted valve 28. The cam disk 80actuates a rock arm 86 on a rock shaft 87 which is provided with an arm88 connected by a rod 89 with an arm 90 on the shaft 26 of the upperpivoted valve 24. The exhaust valve 38 is actuated from the cam disk 79and rock shaft 82 by means of an arm 91 on said shaft which is connectedby a rod 92 with an arm 93 on the shaft 44 of this valve. The lower endof the rod 75 actuated by the cam disk 74 may be guided by a rock arm 94loosely mounted on the rock shaft 87. The exhaust valves 34, 38 havetheir stems 100, 101, guided in frames 102, 103, and provided withprojections 104, 105, which are engaged by the rock arms 41, 42,respectively.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for feeding or discharging material to or from a vacuumtank comprising, a preliminary receiving chamber, a valve which controlsthe inlet to said chamber, a main receiving chamber which receives thematerial from said preliminary chamber, a valve which controls thecommunication between said chambers, a valve which controlsthe outlet ofsaid main chamber, means for exhausting said main chamber, and means foractuating said valves, substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus for feeding or dischargin material to or from a vacuumtank comprising a preliminary receiving chamber, a valve which controlsthe inlet to said chamber, a main receiving chamber which receives thematerial from said preliminary a valve which controls the communicationbetween said chambers, a valve which controls the outlet of said mainchamber, an. exhaust passage in said main chamber, a valve whichcontrols said passage, and means for actuating said valves,substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for feeding or dischargin materlal to or from avacuum tank, the com ination of a receiviplg chamber having anexhauslilpassage, an et valve which controls the et of said chamber, andan 1 outlet valve which controls the outlet of said chamber, one ofwhich valves is exposed .to the atmosphere while the other valve is exlposed to the vacuum, an exhaust valve which controls said exhaustpassage, and mechanism for opening and closing each of said valvesperiodically, and operating to open said exhaust passage when said inletand outlet valves are closed, substantially as set forth. r 4. In anapparatus for feeding or discharging material to or from a vacuuin tank,the combination of a receiving chamber having an exhaust passage, aninlet .valve which controls the inlet of said chamber, and an outletvalve which controls the outlet of said the atmosphere while the othervalve is exposed to the vacuum, an exhaust chamber haust valve which isarranged within said chamber and controls said passage, and mechanismfor opening and closing each of said valves periodically and operatingto open said exhaust passage when said inlet and outlet valves areclosed, substantially as set forth.

5. An apparatus for feeding or discharging material to or from a vacuumtank comprising a preliminary receiving chamber, a valve which controlsthe inlet to said chamber, a main receiving chamber which receives thematerial from said preliminary chamber, and a swinging valve whichcontrols the communication between said chambers and is arranged withinsaid main chamber and closes upwardly against its seat, substantially asset forth.

6., An apparatus for feeding or discharging material to or from a vacuumtank comprising a preliminary receiving chamber, a valve which controlsthe inlet 'to said chamber, a main receiving chamber which receives thematerial from said preliminary chamber, a swinging valvewhich controlsthe communication between said chambers and is arranged within said mainchamber and closes upwardly against the seat, and a swinging valve WhlChcontrols the outlet of said mam chamber and closes upwardly against itsseat, substantiall as set forth.

ing material to or from a vacuum tank comprising a preliminary receivingchamber, a valve which controls the inlet to said chamber, a mainreceiving chamber which receives the material from said preliminarychamber, a swinging valve which controls the communication etween saidchambers, a swinging valve which controls the outlet of said mainchamber, and means for actuating said valves,

8. An apparatus for feeding\or discharging materlal to or from a vacuumtank comwhich incloses said exhaust passage, an exsubstantially as setforth.

'80 chamber, one of which valves is exposed to 7. An apparatus forfeedlng or dischargessen e prising a plurality of preliminar receivingtrol the outlets of said main chamber, subchambers and main receiving cembers, a stantially as set forth. 10 commonfeed device, a valve adaptedto al- Witness my hand in the presence of two ternately place said feeddevice in communisubscribing Witnesses.

cation with one of the preliminary cham- EUGENE MOREAU. bers, valveswhich control the communi; Witnesses:

cation between said preliminary and main EDWARD C. HARD,

receiving chambers, and valves which con- 0. B. HORNBECK.

